A Time to Reflect

We have just completed a very busy third quarter. This quarter we focused on developing critical thinking skills, looking at multiple perspectives and reflecting on key historical events and people. You can see that history is not a fixed, static list of events, dates and people. It is a dynamic study of events in the past that hopefully give us insight into the problems and issues of today. One of our recent current events was an article comparing the censure of President Jackson and the effort to censure President Bush. We are now looking at the tensions that contributed to our Civil War while keeping an eye on the events in Iraq that may point to the same. History offers us lessons and insights for today.

Fourth Quarter Plans

In addition to reflecting on skills and content, this is the time to think more deeply about what you have accomplished and to plan for the final quarter. We will start off the quarter with several weeks of work on your Civil War project. This project gives you the opportunity to apply all of your best historical thinking. You will also practice project management as you juggle the demands of the assignment, working with a partner, and knowing you have a deadline. This is also a fun project as you get to make most of the decisions on the topic and how you will present your findings. We will also have outside guests that are anxious to hear about your project.

Report Cards

Congratulations to all who met or exceeded the standard during the 3rd. quarter. For those of you who struggled, take the time to look at your assignment sheet and identify weak points. Keep in mind that there are several safety net tools you can use to be successful. The agenda is written on the board as a way for you to keep track of assignments and homework, before and after school help is available most days, your status of assignment sheet and folder allow you to track and monitor your work and finally you have the blog as a way to review and to extend your understanding.

A Best Seller

This week we started watching “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” a video based on the novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe. “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” first appeared in 1851 in a serial format in an abolitionist publication. In 1852 it was published as a book and became an immediate best seller. While viewing the movie, take note of how the different families and family members treated Tom. You should also compare the plantation life style with life in the north on a small farm or life in a manufacturing town. One of our text books asks if the United States in the 1850s had developed into “Two Nations?” This movie gives us some insight into that question.

If you want to review the story line I have provided you with a link and for a more historical understanding of the popularity of the story I have provided a link to the Library of Congress site that contains posters advertising “Uncle Tom.”